More than $200 million in assets targets fentanyl traffickers led by historic DOJ

A comprehensive international law enforcement initiative has resulted in the arrests of 270 people and seized more than $200 million in cash and digital assets, according to a statement issued by the U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday.

Called Operation Raptor, it strives to target dark web vendors, buyers and managers, involving illicit trafficking of opioids, especially fentanyl and other narcotics.

Operation Raptors of Justice

According to an official press release, the operation was carried out with the help of 10 countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, South Korea and Brazil and marks the most important evacuation of the Ministry of Justice’s joint criminal opioids and Darknet Law Enforcement (JCODE) team. More than two tons of drugs were confiscated, including 144 kilograms of fentanyl blood substances and more than 180 guns.

Europol’s European Cyber ​​Crime Centre (EC3) and international partners gathered from previously demolished blacknet markets such as Nemesis, Tor2door, Bohemia and Kingdom markets. These revokers provide key investigative prospects, thus enabling a series of synchronous but independent enforcement actions in jurisdictions.

Interestingly, this operation also includes the first sanctions of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) as a member agency of JCODE. Nemesis Market founder Behrouz Parsarad, the Iranian country, was approved and prosecuted for drug trafficking charges in Ohio after the market was seized.

FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement

“By hiding cowards online, these traffickers have caused damage in our country and directly exacerbated the fentanyl crisis and gun violence, affecting our American communities and communities.

OFAC target enemy

In early March, the Treasury Department’s OFAC approved 49 cryptocurrency addresses related to Nemesis, which are linked to Darknet Marketplace, accused of facilitating $30 million in drug dealing. The so-called founder of the Iranian country Behrouz Parsarad has been accused of operating the platform, charging fees, laundering money and supporting the sale of fentanyl, fake IDs and hacking services.

Nemesis operates from 2021 to 2024 and serves more than 30,000 users during this period. Authorities caught the server last year, as well as $102,000 in cryptocurrency. Despite such evacuations and others like Genesis and Hydra, Darknet Marketlaces generated $1.7 billion in revenue in 2024.